New Boston Historical Society
New Boston, New Hampshire
Veterans Monument on the New Boston town green
Veterans Monument Update Project
Our town's Select Board intends to update the monument in 2024, and we need your help finding veterans who served our country during the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, or the Global War on Terrorism. Some veterans will have moved from New Boston or passed away, which is why we're asking friends and relatives to provide names of people who may be eligible.
2024 update: The new plaque has been installed! The updated monument was unveiled Veterans Day, November 11, 2024 at 11:00AM. Fifty veterans, family members, and friends attended a brief ceremony, with a few words by Dick Jardine, Selectman Joe Constance, and Reverend Robert Woodland.
John Kaufhold and his son Broderick of the Peterborough Marble & Granite Works installed the updated plaque on the Veterans Monument in October 2024.
Veterans Day ceremony, November 11, 2024
The granite monument on the green beside Town Hall honors all New Boston military personnel who served honorably in war time. It is not a "memorial", which is a monument dedicated to people who died in combat.
Who is eligible to have their names added to the monument?
You must have entered military service from New Boston or have been a resident of New Boston during the periods of service recognized by the Department of Defense for the recent major conflicts:
| Conflict | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Vietnam War | January 1, 1961 | August 14, 1974 |
| Persian Gulf War | August 2, 1990 | November 30, 1995 |
| Global War on Terrorism | September 11, 2001 | December 31, 2022 |
What documentation is required?
The Department of Defense issues every veteran with a DD Form 214 which contains the relevant information. We expect that most eligible veterans will have a DD Form 214 which shows "New Boston" in the Home Of Record box and "National Defense Service Medal" in the box for Decorations, Medals, etc. If you know of a veteran who may be eligible but documentation is not available, we'd like to add the veteran's name to our list so we can explore other means of validating their service.
NOTE: We do not want to leave anyone's name off the monument becuase documentation is not readily available. We ask that you provide a name and contact information so we can work with you to document the veteran's eligibility.
When will the Monument be updated?
We've set 2024 as a target date. We need to collect names, plan how to fit new names on the monument, and determine costs for a new brass plaque. The Select Board will determine how to raise funds for the update, through a warrant article, public fundraising, or a combination of the two. There will be no cost to the veterans who are being honored.
Click on the 2012 photo for a larger image, updated in 2024 to show the new plaque.
To see photos of all the names on the Veterans Monument
• Click here for wars from the French and Indian War (1754-1763) to World War I
• Click here for World War II and later wars
Can't the Department of Defense provide a list of all New Boston veterans?
No, the Department of Defense and Veterans Administration will not share names due to privacy concerns. That's why we're asking you and local veterans groups to help us create a list. Incidentally, each veteran may "opt-out" if he or she prefers not to have their name on the monument.
Who is working on this project?
Historical Society volunteers who are helping the Select Board are Dick Jardine, David Woodbury, Jennifer Allocca, and Dan Rothman. We welcome your input. We intend to publicize this project in newspapers and on Facebook, and we invite you to share the information with friends, family, and veterans groups. (Note: names of veterans were accepted from April 2023 until August 2024.)
